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Top 10 Tips For Successful Meal Prepping

Meal prep is one of those healthy lifestyle habits that will change your life for the better, forever! It’s a whole other way of thinking about your diet, and one that makes a lot of sense. As Fitmark Ambassador Amy Rada told us,

My diet is considered a lifestyle, because I’m not depriving myself of any food group. I use portion control to determine how much of each food group I’m eating each day. It’s so easy to follow and has completely switched my mindset about food. I eat to FUEL my body…not to FEED my cravings!

The best part is, meal prepping doesn’t have to be complicated. Just think of it as packing your lunch, but on a larger scale! The same way you would plan out your lunch menu for the day is pretty much the same plan you’d use for every meal of the day. To help you out, here are Amy’s top 10 tips:

Top 10 Tips For Successful Meal Prepping

Make a plan: Find simple-to-cook recipes with few ingredients and make a shopping list.

Mix things up: Something as simple as alternating fish and chicken in your salads will help you from getting bored with it.

Protein Shakes: One less meal to worry about, and it gives you all of your nutrients.

Invest in extra food containers: So your food is always ready to go.

Spice things up: Adding a simple seasoning to your foods can add a ton of flavor. Make sure to look for ones with no salt.

Get your significant other on board: Having their help and support will be life changing.

Keep your eye on the prize: All of your time spent on meal prepping has a purpose. Once you start to feel incredible, then you will be less tempted to eat junk and more excited to make a plan each week.

Before you decide how you’re going to change your lifestyle, there are a few questions you want to ask yourself first. Amy told us that it’s important to “find your WHY.”

WHY is it important for you to lose 30 pounds or drop 4 pant sizes? If you dig deeper than just the physical accomplishment, then you can reflect back onto your WHY when you’re feeling unmotivated.

It’s all about thinking about the long-term effect on your health. Losing weight is secondary to the real issue and that’s improving your health. Amy says:

When you switch your goals to health based, then your mindset is stronger. For instance, lowering your cholesterol levels, getting off of your high-blood pressure medications, not letting heart disease in your family control your future…those types of goals. Sure looking good in a bathing suit is an incredible feeling, but when your health is the priority, I guarantee the external appearances will happen too.

In Amy’s top 10 tips, she mentioned getting your significant other on board with your fitness goals. Having a workout partner is a guaranteed way to reach your goals. It doesn’t have to be your significant other, it can be a friend or someone you meet at the gym. Here’s what she told us:

Find an accountability partner. Having someone to check in with daily, or better yet someone who is doing this with you, will help you feel more motivated to tackle each day. If you are starting out completely new to a healthier lifestyle, it will be difficult and uncomfortable. Change is never easy. Having someone in your corner, rooting you on every day is KEY when your excuses want to take over. Sometimes you need some tough love to keep pushing!

Feeding Your Body, Feeding Your Mind

It’s not all about feeding your body either, feeding your mind is just as important when it comes to reaching your goals and staying on track. Keeping a positive outlook will help you get ahead. Rather than dreading the whole experience, you’ll actually start to enjoy it. Amy told us, it’s all about changing your mindset:

Personal development is HUGE when trying to create a healthier mindset! It wasn’t until I started feeding my mind with positive affirmations that my lifestyle really turned around.

Instead of saying “I can’t eat that.” Start saying, “I can have that, but I’m choosing to fuel my body instead.” When you’ve had a long day, you’re exhausted, stressed, and have 100 things on your to-do list…instead of saying “I have to work out,” start saying, “I get to work out, and I know after I accomplish it I will feel so much better.”

Always having your meal prep and gym bag packed and ready to go will ensure you never fall off track. No matter where you are, having your meals with you at all times is your answer to being fully committed to your healthy lifestyle. Amy told us:

​My husband and I absolutely love our Fitmark Bag! I use it as my lunchbox for teaching, because it actually fits all of my containers! I love the option of including the ice packs, in case I don’t have access to a refrigerator. We take it camping, on the boat when we go fishing, and it’s great for when I’m photographing a wedding all day.

Knowing my food will stay cool helps me stay on track to reach my goals when I’m on the go.